Department for Transport

Railways: Electrification

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) what has been the cost, and (2) what is the predicted cost, of extending the electrification clearance through train stations from 2.75 metres to 3.5 metres; and whether theyintend tomake representations to the Office of Road and Railwith regards to the new requirements for increased clearance at train stations.

lord callanan: The Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) determine appropriate national technical standards for electrical clearances in consultation with Network Rail. The appropriate clearance distances are subject to adequate risk assessments and it is a matter for Network Rail to determine how best to protect the public. The Department for Transport does not intend to make representations to the Office of Road and Rail about these standards. In regard to costs, this information is held by Network Rail.

Air Routes: EU Countries

lord mackenzie of culkein: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Callanan on 19 July (HL1088), in developing their plans to negotiate the best possible relationship between the UK and the EU in the field of aviation what steps they intend to take to provide clarity and certainty regarding access to the Single Aviation Market for (1) airlines that intend to make decisions about whether to increase capacity in the UK, and (2) passengers intending to plan holidays, for the 18 months leading up to March 2019; and whether they are taking steps to avoid the risk of uncertainty by seeking an early interim agreement with the EU-27 on UK-EU aviation traffic rights by the end of this year.

lord mackenzie of culkein: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are developing a contingency plan for aviation in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal to ensure that access rights for the UK and the EU airlines are maintained after March 2019.

lord mackenzie of culkein: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is theirestimate of the economic impact of no deal being made on the right of UK airlines to fly between EU member states and third party countriesin relation towhich the legal right to fly is currently held by the EU and not the UK.

lord callanan: It will be in the interests of both sides in the negotiation to maintain closely integrated aviation markets. The Government continues to work closely with the aviation sector to ensure this industry continues to be a major success story for the British economy. Air transport and aerospace add at least £22 billion to the UK economy each year. The Government plans to negotiate the best possible relationship between the UK and EU in the field of aviation with a smooth and orderly transition. We will approach the discussions with ambition, giving citizens and businesses as much certainty as possible, as early as possible. The opening up of access to air services helps to deliver connectivity, choice and value for money that benefits consumers and businesses both here and abroad. Seeking new aviation arrangements is a high priority for the Department for Transport, not just with the EU but also with those states where we currently rely on EU-negotiated arrangements for market access. However, a responsible government should prepare for all potential outcomes, including the unlikely scenario in which no mutually satisfactory agreement can be reached. That is exactly what we are doing across the whole of Government.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

lord fink: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many times in the last 12 months a commercial aircraft runway in England and Wales has had to close temporarily due to a drone sighting.

lord callanan: In accordance with Regulation (EU) No 376/2014, safety-related events which endanger or which, if not corrected or addressed, could endanger an aircraft, its occupants or any other person have to be reported to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The Regulation requires that the reporting, analysis and follow-up to such occurrences remain confidential. However, the Regulation does permit information to be released on request to interested parties that have a genuine safety related need for the information. An application can be made at www.caa.co.uk/srg1605. The CAA will shortly be publishing an Aviation Safety Review in accordance with the requirements of the Regulation. This will include detailed analysis of safety occurrences reported to the CAA in 2016 and is intended to inform the public about the level of safety in civil aviation in a clear, engaging and objective manner.

Railways: Plumpton

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are aware of planned cuts to Southern Rail services to Plumpton station at peak times; and whether they have made an assessment of the impact of those cuts on commuters.

lord callanan: Govia Thameslink Railway’s (GTR) recent consultation on the 2018 timetable included a specific question on stopping patterns at Plumpton and Cooksbridge stations. GTR indicated that there was limited support for changes to current timetable. Therefore there are no plans to cut to peak time stops at Plumpton.

Great Western Railway Line: Rolling Stock

lord rosser: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, apart from the new bi-modal trains, there is any passenger rolling stock on order for Great Western franchise which is not yet in service or fully in service.

lord callanan: A separate order for the AT300 version of the Hitachi Intercity Express Train has been made by Great Western Railway (GWR) to replace HST trains on long-distance services between London and the South West of England. A further order of these trains has been made to cover fast services from London to Oxford and Newbury/Bedwyn. GWR has also ordered Bombardier Class 387 electric trains for electric services in the Thames Valley, the first of which are already in service between Maidenhead and Paddington, with the final ones planned to enter service when the route between London and Didcot Parkway is available for use by electric trains. Some of these trains will also operate local services between Reading and Newbury.

Department for Education

Offences against Children

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of concerns expressed by the NSPCC regarding the 60 per cent rise in reports of child neglect over the past five years.

lord nash: The Department’s children in need annual census demonstrates an increase between 2011-12 and 2015-16 of 27% in the number of Child Protection Plans at 31 March with the initial category of neglect as the form of abuse (from 18,220 to 23,150). Over the same period there was an increase of19 per cent in the number of children in need at 31 March with the primary need of ‘abuse or neglect’ (from 168,270 to 199,720), although this cannot be disaggregated to identify neglect needs only. These figures are in the context of general increases of 17 per cent with regard to Child Protection Plans at 31 March and 7 per cent with regard to children in need at 31 March. We recognise the great importance of identifying hidden abuse, including in the form of neglect, and continue to fund the NSPCC to deliver the Childline service, with £8 million invested to 2020. We have also delivered a major communications campaign, Together, we can tackle child abuse, to raise awareness and encourage the members of the public to raise concerns. Through our wide-ranging reforms to children’s social care, we are working to ensure all forms of abuse, including neglect, are identified early, with timely and proportionate assessments of individual needs, and the right services provided at the right time to keep children safe.

Children: Day Care

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that every child has access to 30 hours of free childcare.

lord nash: All parents, of three- and four-year-olds are entitled to 15 hours of free childcare per week, regardless of income and employment status, from 1st September, we have introduced an additional 15 hours of free childcare per week for working parents. The department has invested an additional £1 billion per year by 2019-20 in the free entitlements, including over £300 million per year to increase the hourly funding rates paid for the early years entitlements. The Childcare Choices website provides parents with information about the government’s childcare offers in one place, as well as a childcare calculator to help parents decide what is best for their family circumstances. We also tested 30 hours in twelve early delivery areas, and are sharing the lessons from early delivery with local authorities and providers to support full rollout. Local authorities play a central role in delivery of free early education, as they are required to secure sufficient childcare, as far as is reasonably practicable, in their area. We are working closely with local authorities and supporting them and providers through our delivery contractor Childcare Works, business sustainability support and £100m capital funding.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Recruitment

lord campbell of pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many of those who enquire about joining (1) the Navy, (2) the Army, and (3) the Royal Air Force, are eventually recruited into those services.

earl howe: The total number of applications to join the UK Regular Armed Forces, by Service, in the 12 months ending 30 June 2017 is set out below: Royal Navy/Royal Marines13,888Army100,645Royal Air Force22,715 The total intake (trained and untrained) to the UK Regular Armed Forces, by Service, in the 12 months ending 30 June 2017 is set out below: Royal Navy/Royal Marines2,884Army7,966Royal Air Force1,949 The number of applications received does not directly relate to intake figures. Figures relate to the number of applications received and not the number of applicants, as one applicant may submit several applications. For successful applicants who accept an offer to join the Services, there is processing time between their application being received and the applicant joining the Services. Therefore, the intake figures for the year ending 30 June 2017 (or any other time period) are not comparable with the number of applications received in the same period, as the numbers apply to different cohorts of people. Applications will not result in intake if, for example, they are withdrawn by the applicant during the recruitment process, rejected by the Services, or if an offer to join the Services is declined by the applicant. A comprehensive breakdown of applications and intake figures can be found in the Ministry of Defence’s UK Armed Forces Monthly Service Personnel Statistics, the latest edition of which (July 2017) can be found on the Government’s website: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-armed-forces-monthly-service-personnel-statistics-2017

Northern Ireland Office

Languages: Northern Ireland

lord laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the Belfast Agreement ensures equality between the Irish and Ulster Scots languages.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Belfast Agreement recognised the importance of respect, understanding and tolerance in relation to linguistic diversity, including the Irish language and Ulster Scots.The Government is fully committed to the Belfast Agreement.

Prisoners' Release: Northern Ireland

lord trimble: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many prisoners have been released under the Northern Ireland (Sentences) Act 1998; and of that number, how many prisoners were designated as (1)loyalist, and (2) republican.

lord trimble: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many republican prisoners sentenced for a scheduled offence have been refused release under the Northern Ireland (Sentences) Act 1998 and have not yet been released.

lord trimble: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many loyalist prisoners sentenced for a scheduled offence have been refused release under the Northern Ireland (Sentences) Act 1998 and have not yet been released.

lord trimble: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many republican prisoners, released under the Northern Ireland (Sentences) Act 1998, have been recalled; and of those, how many were subsequently released under that Act.

lord trimble: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many loyalist prisoners, released under the Northern Ireland (Sentences) Act 1998, have been recalled; and of those, how many were subsequently released under that Act.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Northern Ireland Office officials are currently undertaking a consolidation exercise, in conjunction with the Sentence Review Commissioners to confirm the answers to your questions. I will write to the Noble Lord once this exercise has been completed.

Absent Voting: Northern Ireland

lord maginnis of drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 3 July (HL3), what discussions, if any,they have had with (1) the Police Service for Northern Ireland, and (2) the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland, regarding evidence of abuse ofthe proxy voting system in Northern Ireland during the last General Election; andwhat are thedetails ofthose discussions.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The administration of proxy votes, including any related engagement with the PSNI, is an operational matter for the Chief Electoral Officer. The Chief Electoral Officer has regular discussions with Government Ministers and officials on a range of issues relating to elections and electoral registration, including absent voting procedures. The Chief Electoral Officer is currently carrying out an administrative review of all operational procedures in respect of absent voting in Northern Ireland and the Government will consider carefully any recommendations that result from this review.

Department of Health

Strokes

baroness hodgson of abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that new treatments for stroke, including mechanical clot retrieval, will be available throughout the country once the National Stroke Strategycomes to an end in December.

lord o'shaughnessy: Although the National Stroke Strategy comes to an end in December, NHS England continues to lead an effective programme of work on prevention and treatment. NHS England is improving acute treatment through the centralisation of care in centres that can provide the highest level of care at all times of the day and week. Stroke is one of the five conditions chosen to deliver the urgent and emergency care standards by this autumn. NHS England has established a cardiovascular disease (CVD) collaborative to bring together relevant stakeholders in the field of CVD and provide a forum where relevant work being undertaken in this area and potential new initiatives can be discussed and responsibilities for action determined. CVD prevention is a key theme in NHS England’s Five Year Forward View and its NHS RightCare programme. NHS England have also recently announced that it will be commissioning the new treatment of thrombectomy (extracting the blood clot causing the blockage to blood flow through a catheter inserted into the artery). This will initially be provided in the neuroscience centres, but in due course additional centres may need to provide this treatment to ensure complete population coverage.

Female Genital Mutilation

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether all professionals and staff involved in the detection of female genital mutilation have received appropriate and in-depth training.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Government has no current plans to introduce annual medical examinations to identify female genital mutilation (FGM); we believe that prevention and support are where efforts are best focused. Medical examinations may take place in individual child protection cases, however. Medical examinations in France and elsewhere take place within a different social and legal framework than in England and so are not comparable. As part of the Department’s £4 million FGM Prevention Programme, which is in partnership with NHS England, we have introduced a range of training and guidance for health professionals. This includes: - Specialist FGM safeguarding guidance to help health professionals protect against FGM;- Specialist guidance to help health professionals commission appropriate FGM services;- Awareness-raising roadshows and outreach work across the country – this has directly reached over 3,500 professionals;- Educational films about FGM and updated content on the NHS Choices website;- Comprehensive e-learning on FGM, free of charge to all National Health Service staff (this was developed by Health Education England, with more than 4,000 staff having used this to date); and:- Supported a number of projects with health partners including the Royal Colleges. These have delivered a range of practical measures to improve clinical skills, awareness and preparedness to treat and safeguard women and girls with FGM.

Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements

lord laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much was paid (1) by the UK to each EU member state for healthcare provided to (a) UK citizens, and (b) UKpensioners resident in of those states in the last year; and (2) by each EU member state to the UK for healthcare provided to (a) their citizens, and (b) pensioners resident in the UK.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Department, on behalf of the United Kingdom Government, reimburses other European Economic Area (EEA) countries and Switzerland for the cost of providing treatment to people we are responsible for under European Union law, based on pension and benefit eligibility, and irrespective of nationality. In the same way, other EEA countries and Switzerland reimburse the Department, on behalf of the UK Government, for the cost of the National Health Service providing treatment to people they are responsible for under EU law, irrespective of nationality and including UK nationals insured in another EEA country or Switzerland. Member state claims against the UK are in local currency, so totals are significantly affected by the exchange rate at the time of payment and can mean a difference of millions of pounds. Member states can submit claims up to 18 months in arrears, so claims for any 12 month period do not necessarily reflect treatment provided in that period. Due to the size of the data, figures for the amount paid by the UK to each EU member state for healthcare in 2016/17 are provided in the attached table. These figures are the latest available and rounded to the nearest pound. After the UK leaves the EU, and in a reciprocal deal, the UK will continue to export and uprate the UK state pension and to provide associated healthcare cover on behalf of the UK within the EU.



EEA medical costs
(Excel SpreadSheet, 29.51 KB)

Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements

lord laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of arrangements for the payment of healthcare costs for EU pensioners living in the UK and UK pensioners living in the EU after the UKleaves the EU.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Department, on behalf of the United Kingdom Government, reimburses other European Economic Area (EEA) countries and Switzerland for the cost of providing treatment to people we are responsible for under European Union law, based on pension and benefit eligibility, and irrespective of nationality. In the same way, other EEA countries and Switzerland reimburse the Department, on behalf of the UK Government, for the cost of the National Health Service providing treatment to people they are responsible for under EU law, irrespective of nationality and including UK nationals insured in another EEA country or Switzerland. Member state claims against the UK are in local currency, so totals are significantly affected by the exchange rate at the time of payment and can mean a difference of millions of pounds. Member states can submit claims up to 18 months in arrears, so claims for any 12 month period do not necessarily reflect treatment provided in that period. Due to the size of the data, figures for the amount paid by the UK to each EU member state for healthcare in 2016/17 are provided in the attached table. These figures are the latest available and rounded to the nearest pound. After the UK leaves the EU, and in a reciprocal deal, the UK will continue to export and uprate the UK state pension and to provide associated healthcare cover on behalf of the UK within the EU.



EEA medical costs
(Excel SpreadSheet, 29.51 KB)